Chinese authorities and the steel sector have pledged to lower
output from last year’s record, with Tangshan already facing a slew of
restrictions amid the push to control emissions. Despite these efforts, crude
steel production neared a record in March, while rebar inventories declined
for a fifth consecutive week, signaling strength in demand amid the
construction season.
“Vale kept its annual guidance of 315-335Mt, although it is
tracking toward the lower end of it,” according
to Sharon Mustri, an analyst at BloombergNEF. “This means prices may continue
to rally and the seaborne market could fail to meet strong Chinese demand.”
Iron ore futures in Singapore were on course for a fourth
weekly advance with prices steady at $178.75 a ton by 10:49 a.m. local time
Friday. Contracts in Dalian were also little changed.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-04-23/steel-hits-fresh-highs-in-china-as-output-curbs-in-sharp-focus?srnd=premium-europe Lumber
party: Prices soar on booming home sales, beetles and bottlenecks in sawmills Imports from Canada to U.S. lower because
of tariffs and a mountain pine beetle that's devastated forests in British
Columbia Apr 21, 2021
U.S. wood prices are racing higher
amid a vigorous economic recovery from the pandemic, blasting through previous
records as sawmills struggle to keep pace with demand in the run-up to peak
homebuilding season.
Lumber futures have soared by more
than 50 per cent this year to more than US$1,327 per 1,000 board feet length as
housebuilders and DIY stores scramble for increasingly scarce supplies. That
has taken gains since the depths of the COVID-19 crisis to 400 per cent,
significantly above the contract’s previous high of US$650 set in 2018.
The physical market is also red hot,
with the price of the preferred product for wooden framing — 2×4 lengths of
Western Spruce-pine-fir — rising 30 per cent since the turn of the year to
US$1,205, according to lumber pricing company Fastmarkets Random Lengths. That
is almost US$900 above the average price since 2005.
Market veterans are stunned by the
scale of the rally and say it underlines the inflationary challenge facing the
U.S. economy as it springs back from pandemic lockdowns that have crushed
inventories and production.
“I’ve followed these markets for 37
years and I have never seen it go more gangbusters,” said Mark Wilde, analyst
at BMO Capital Markets.
Lumber is wood that has been
processed into beams and planks — a key building material in the U.S., where
around 90 per cent of newly built homes are wood framed.
Supply constraints have already
sparked alarm; the National Association of Home Builders recently called on
U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo to launch an investigation and “seek
immediate remedies that will increase production.”
One suggestion is for the Biden
administration to reduce tariffs on imports from Canada, the top lumber
exporter to the U.S.
The National Association of
Homebuilders estimates the increase in lumber prices since last spring has
added more than US$24,000 to the cost of building an average new single family
home, which now stands between US$300,000 and US$330,000.
“We are simply not producing enough
structural lumber in the U.S.,” said Robert Dietz, NAHB’s chief economist. “It
is part of a broader story . . . of disrupted supply chains and is probably
going to create some inflationary pressure in 2021 as we see an uptick in
economic growth.”
More https://financialpost.com/financial-times/lumber-party-prices-soar-on-booming-home-sales-beetles-and-bottlenecks-in-sawmills
Covid-19 Corner This
section will continue until it becomes unneeded.
New coronavirus variant could be
resistant to antibodies - research During lab
tests, research showed that "several neutralizing antibodies are ineffective
in controlling other variants with the same genetic markers as BV-1," the
university said. By ZACHARY
KEYSER APRIL 22, 2021 05:35
Scientists
at Texas A&M University have identified a variant of the novel coronavirus
that is potentially resistant to antibodies, the university announced in a
statement.
The
strain, BV-1, was found in one individual who had reported mild symptoms of
COVID-19.
During
lab tests, research showed that “several neutralizing antibodies are
ineffective in controlling other variants with the same genetic markers as
BV-1,” the university said.
“We
do not at present know the full significance of this variant, but it has a
combination of mutations similar to other internationally notifiable variants
of concern,” said Global Health Research Complex chief virologist Ben Neuman.
“This variant combines genetic markers separately associated with rapid spread,
severe disease and high resistance to neutralizing antibodies.
“We
have not detected any more instances of this variant,” he added. “We have not
grown or tested this virus in any way. This announcement is based purely on the
genetic sequence analysis done in the lab.”
The
genetic makeup of the BV-1 strain is comparable to the original variant found
in the United Kingdom in September.
Over
30 countries have identified cases
of the UK coronavirus variant within their borders after the new strain made
headlines just before Christmas.
---- The individual who tested positive with
the variant was a student at Texas A&M. School officials were alerted to
the positive test after a saliva sample taken from the student, as part of the
school’s testing efforts, indicated a positive coronavirus infection.
The
student suffered mild cold-like symptoms in March, according to the university;
his condition did not worsen over time.
In
light of the discovery, Texas A&M researchers sent their findings to both
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, as well as to
GISAID, which is a Munich-based science initiative aimed at sharing information
about the novel coronavirus with scientists around the world.
Texas
A&M researchers intend to intensify their research to determine if there
are any more variants present within the student population. This will include
looking into possible asymptomatic cases of the disease around campus.
“Sequencing
helps to provide an early warning system for new variants,” Neuman said. “Though
we may not yet understand the full significance of BV-1, the variant highlights
an ongoing need for rigorous surveillance and genomic testing, including among
young adults with no symptoms or only mild symptoms."
https://www.jpost.com/health-science/research-finds-new-coronavirus-variant-potentially-resistant-to-antibodies-665836
Pfizer Identifies Fake Covid-19
Shots Abroad as Criminals Exploit Vaccine Demand In Mexico, about
80 people received fraudulent doses, and in Poland authorities recovered vials
likely containing an antiwrinkle treatment Updated April 21, 2021 5:58 pm ET
Pfizer Inc. PFE 1.28% says
it has identified in Mexico and Poland the first confirmed instances of
counterfeit versions of the Covid-19 vaccine it developed with BioNTech SE, the latest
attempt by criminals trying to exploit the world-wide vaccination campaign.
Vials seized by authorities in separate investigations were
tested by the company and confirmed to contain bogus vaccine. The vials
recovered in Mexico also had fraudulent labeling, while a substance inside
vials in Poland was likely an antiwrinkle treatment, Pfizer said.
About 80 people at a clinic in Mexico received a fake
vaccine going for about $1,000 a dose, though they don’t appear to have been
physically harmed. The vials, found in beach-style beer coolers, had different
lot numbers than those sent to the state, and a wrong expiration date, said Dr.
Manuel de la O Cavazos, the health secretary of Nuevo León state.
Polish
authorities said no one there had received the counterfeit vaccine, which was
seized at a man’s apartment.
The findings are the latest in an effort between law
enforcement and drugmakers such as Pfizer, Moderna Inc. and Johnson & Johnson to
stem criminal activity related to the Covid-19 vaccines. The global rollout of
shots has provided criminals a fresh opportunity to take advantage of
unsuspecting people.
“Everybody on the planet needs it. Many are desperate for
it,” said Lev Kubiak, Pfizer’s world head of security. “We have a very limited
supply, a supply that will increase as we ramp up and other companies enter the
vaccine space. In the interim, there is a perfect opportunity for criminals.”
The U.S., Mexico and other countries have seized and taken
down dozens of websites fraudulently claiming to sell shots or an affiliation
with vaccine makers such as Moderna and Pfizer, according to government
officials and records. The fake company look-alike websites appeared to be seeking consumers’ personal information to be used in
identity-fraud schemes, government and industry officials say.
---- Police in China and South Africa last month seized thousands of doses of
counterfeit Covid-19 vaccines in warehouses and manufacturing plants, arresting
dozens of people, according to the international police agency Interpol. Mexico
also is investigating a shipment of some 6,000 doses of purported Sputnik
vaccine from Russia, which were seized from a private plane headed to Honduras
in March.
The Russia Direct Investment Fund,
which leads efforts to market the vaccine internationally, said an analysis of
photographs of the seized batch “suggests that it is a fake.” The Mexican Attorney
General’s Office said it was investigating the matter and declined to comment
further. Authorities haven’t determined whether the vaccines are genuine.
More
https://www.wsj.com/articles/pfizer-identifies-fake-covid-19-shots-abroad-as-criminals-exploit-vaccine-demand-11619006403
S. Korea may produce homegrown
COVID-19 vaccine within this year: minister 16:58 April 22, 2021
SEOUL, April 22 (Yonhap) -- South
Korea's science minister said Thursday that the country could develop a
homegrown vaccine against COVID-19 by the end of this year as the country aims
to accelerate its vaccination campaign against the pandemic.
While South Korea has secured
COVID-19 vaccines from multiple global pharmaceutical companies to cover for 79
million people, more than its 52 million population, the country is currently
developing vaccines through local pharmaceutical firms to prepare for a
drawn-out fight against the pandemic.
"The possibility of a homegrown
vaccine against the novel coronavirus being developed within this year still
remains high," Minister of Science and ICT Choi Ki-young said in a
parliamentary session. "If there is support for (vaccine development), it
is possible."
Early this year, Choi said that
homegrown vaccine technology is needed to quickly respond against new variants
and reduce reliance on foreign vaccines.
He said at the time that local
pharmaceutical companies were developing COVID-19 vaccines and that phase 3
clinical trials of a homegrown vaccine could take place at the end of the year
and could be available early next year.
South Korea's vaccination campaign,
which began late February, has recently picked up steam, with nearly 2 million
people receiving their first jabs as of Wednesday.
More
https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20210422009100320?section=science/medicine
Next, some vaccine links
kindly sent along from a LIR reader in Canada. The links come from a most
informative update from Stanford Hospital in California.
World
Health Organization - Landscape of COVID-19 candidate vaccines . https://www.who.int/publications/m/item/draft-landscape-of-covid-19-candidate-vaccines
NY
Times Coronavirus Vaccine Tracker . https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/science/coronavirus-vaccine-tracker.html
Stanford
Website . https://racetoacure.stanford.edu/clinical-trials/132
Regulatory
Focus COVID-19 vaccine tracker . https://www.raps.org/news-and-articles/news-articles/2020/3/covid-19-vaccine-tracker
Some other useful Covid links.
Johns Hopkins Coronavirus
resource centre
https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html
Rt Covid-19
https://rt.live/
Centers for Disease Control
Coronavirus
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html
The Spectator
https://data.spectator.co.uk/city/national
Technology Update.
With events happening
fast in the development of solar power and graphene, I’ve added this section.
Updates as they get reported.
Identification of the wettability
of graphene layers at the molecular level Date: April 21, 2021
Source: Institute for Basic Science
Summary: Scientists identify the wettability of
graphene layers and improve the understanding of graphene interface properties
at molecular levels.
Graphene is a two-dimensional
material in which carbon atoms are arranged in hexagonal structures, and it has
unique physical and chemical properties such as sub-nanometer thickness,
chemical stability, mechanical flexibility, electrical and thermal
conductivity, optical transparency, and selective permeability to water. Due to
these properties, various applications of graphene in transparent electrodes,
desalination, electrical energy storage, and catalysts have been vigorously
studied.
Because graphene is an extremely
thin material, for practical uses, it has to be deposited on top of other
materials that serve as substrate. One of the research subjects which is of
great scientific interest is how graphene on a substrate interacts with water.
Wettability is the ability of the interfacial water to maintain contact with a
solid surface, and it depends on the material's hydrophobicity. Unlike most
materials, the wettability of graphene varies depending on the type of
substrate. More specifically, the wettability of the substrate is weakly
affected by the presence of a single graphene layer on its surface. Such a
peculiar wettability of graphene has been described by the term "wetting
transparency" because the wetting properties at the graphene-water
interface have little effect on the substrate-water interaction through the
thin graphene.
----Recently,
a research team at the Center for Molecular Spectroscopy and Dynamics (CMSD)
within the Institute for Basic Science (IBS) in Seoul, South Korea and the
Korea University revealed the origin of the wettability of graphene. The team
succeeded at observing the hydrogen-bond structure of water molecules at
graphene-water interfaces using a technique called 'vibrational sum-frequency
generation spectroscopy (VSFG)'. VSFG is a second-order nonlinear spectroscopy
that can be used to selectively analyze molecules with broken centrosymmetry.
It is an ideal method for studying the behavior and structures of water
molecules at the graphene interface since the water molecules in the bulk
liquid are not visible due to their isotropic distribution of molecular
orientations.
---- The first and second authors KIM Donghwan and KIM Eunchan Kim note:
"This study is the first case describing the increasing hydrophobicity of
the graphene surface at a molecular level depending on the number of graphene
layers," and "Vibrational sum-frequency generation spectroscopy could
be used as a versatile tool for understanding the properties of any functional
two-dimensional materials."
Prof. CHO Minhaeng, the Director of
CMSD, notes: "For applications where graphene is utilized in water
solution, the hydrophobicity of the interface is one of the key factors in
determining the efficiency of graphene layers for various application. This
research is expected to provide basic scientific knowledge for an optimal
design of graphene-based devices in the future."
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/04/210421100921.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily%2Fmatter_energy%2Fgraphene+%28Graphene+News+--+ScienceDaily%29
Another weekend and
the sky’s going to fall in if we don’t all stop using oil, natural gas and coal
to make things, heat ourselves, and feed ourselves. Have a nice weekend. [Well
according to our over excitable eco loons.]
Climate Change
Could Cut World Economy by $23 Trillion in 2050, Insurance Giant Warns Poor nations would be particularly hard
hit, but few would escape, Swiss Re said. The findings could influence how the
industry prices insurance and invests its mammoth portfolios. April 22, 2021, 4:00 a.m. ET
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/22/climate/world-economy-swiss-re-insurance.html
Honesty
is for the most part less profitable than dishonesty.
Plato.
[The ancient Greek, not the BTCC racing driver.]
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